Best routes at Joshua Tree?

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Messages 1 - 52 of total 52 in this topic
Stanley Hassinger

climber
Eastern US
Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 29, 2008 - 06:35pm PT
Some friends and I are heading to JTree soon. It'll be my first time. We're 5.10 (and below) climbers, maybe some easy 11's. Trad and sport.

Anybody want to suggest routes we positively must do?

Please provide a short description to induce maximal stoke-nitude.
Elcapinyoazz

Social climber
Joshua Tree
Jan 29, 2008 - 06:39pm PT
http://www.mountainproject.com/scripts/Search.php?searchType=findroutes&selectedIds=105720495
caughtinside

Social climber
Davis, CA
Jan 29, 2008 - 06:39pm PT
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/california/joshua_tree_national_park/105720495

Mountainproject has a ton of info on jtree routes. In the upper left, you can click an option that says 'best routes for me in this area' and search by quality and grade.

check it out.

EDIT: Mr. Inyoazz went ground up and beat me by a hair.
Off-Width Loving Crack Whore

Trad climber
SLO
Jan 29, 2008 - 06:50pm PT
The Trad Guide to Joshua Tree- 60 favorite Climbs from 5.6 to 5.9

http://www.joshuatreetrad.com/60Climbs.htm

yes there are better guides and yes there are many more "classics" in this range, but overall this is a pretty good guide book especially for a first time JTree outing.
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, Ca
Jan 29, 2008 - 06:55pm PT
Some of the best times at Josh are found off the beaten track, away from the roads. At 5.10d, Black President probably qualifies as an easy .11 ...
Russ Walling

Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
Jan 29, 2008 - 07:08pm PT
http://widefetish.com/pages/route_beta.html
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Jan 29, 2008 - 07:51pm PT
Nice try Russ!
Lemme see; I got a hanwritten list somewhere's...
Todd Gordon

Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
Jan 29, 2008 - 08:31pm PT
http://www.joshuatreeclimb.com/ClimbsGuest/recroutes.htm
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Jan 29, 2008 - 09:14pm PT

u4ick

Trad climber
temecula, ca
Jan 29, 2008 - 09:17pm PT
COARSE & BUGGY CHECK IT! WORTH THE EFFORT! 5.11
rlf

Trad climber
Josh, CA
Jan 29, 2008 - 09:58pm PT
Anyone who tells you that Joshua Tree has good routes is an out right lier.

Move along, nothing to see here...
susan peplow

climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
Jan 29, 2008 - 10:43pm PT
Stanley,

I opted for a blatant plug vs. spamming your email account. You and your friends should check this place out.....
http://www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com

Special climbers discount available. Shoot me an email for more information.

No matter where you stay, you're guaranteed a great time! Good friends and thousands of routes. Hard to beat. (unless it's cold and the devil winds kick up. Then, you're left wishing you had booked the Sahara house ;)


~Sooze



klinefelter

Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
Jan 29, 2008 - 10:58pm PT
I think that Sidewinder captures the essence of Jtree climbing, so that's my choice (and it's close to the road). Gotta say, though, I haven't climbed 99% of the other routes.
rlf

Trad climber
Josh, CA
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:11pm PT
Why does everything have to be close to the road?
klinefelter

Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:20pm PT
You're right, scratch that. Please substitute my choice with yours, rlf. I didn't realize a hike was prerequisite.
oldcragger

Trad climber
Truckee,CA
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:20pm PT
Nice list Tarbuster, but where's "Run for Your Life" and why isn't "Illusion Dweller" highlighted??
MP
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:21am PT
Run for Your Life isn't on there because, it was meant to be a list featuring primarily naturaly protected routes.
...And I have no idea what the highlights were for, uh, even though I put them there.

The few face climbs that made the list aren't meant to be necessarily the best; just good and worth spicing things up a bit.

A pure face list would be quite large; would be a list in its own right, fer dang sure.
Stanley Hassinger

climber
Eastern US
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 30, 2008 - 10:28am PT
Thanks for all the input. Keep it coming!
u4ick

Trad climber
temecula, ca
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:37pm PT
COARSE & BUGGY 5.11

KICK ASS CRACK, STEAMING, LITTLE BIT OF FACE. 80FT.
TOP ROPE POSSILBE, BUT IT SHOULD BE LED!
GOOGLE IT!
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, Ca
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:39pm PT
AS long as everyone is studying Roy's list, we gotta mention that the only way Rubicon is an .11 is if we move it to Red Rocks...

:-)
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Jan 30, 2008 - 01:30pm PT
Is that what I listed it at?
Thanks for calling that out Ksolem!
10D as I recall.

I say two of the best & most elegant routes:
Hyperion Arch
The Last Unicorn
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
Jan 30, 2008 - 02:16pm PT
Hey there Roy. Say, that's a nice list of routes! Thanks for posting!
Standing Strong

Trad climber
heart's all over the world tonight
Jan 30, 2008 - 02:42pm PT
well, i was in josha tree over the winter break. i don't know what a lot of the areas where i climbed are called because i didn't ask since i think it's nicer to not know. that way you don't have any preconceieved notions about routes - like, o, i can or can't climb THAT grade... but, the one that i did happen to find out the info on is CRYPTIC on headstone rock. that was my favorite one of everything i did down there. the route goes up this cute little arete. "tuolumne_tradster" posted a good photo on the "best aretes ever" thread.
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Jan 30, 2008 - 03:18pm PT
Cryptic is tres-neato!

'Glad you enjoyed the list Steelmonk...
I have some topos of link ups of that stuff.
I'll dig 'em up in a bit.
WoodySt

Trad climber
Riverside
Jan 30, 2008 - 03:28pm PT
I'd put " The Flake " on the list also. Another good one is "Hands Off". "Negro Girls" is a great face climb. Be cautious on the second pitch. Oh, that's right, I remember now, there is no second pitch. I wondered why there was no pro for about 120 feet. It was thrilling, though.
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
Jan 30, 2008 - 03:38pm PT
Hey Roy! Say, that would be great to see some linkup info for those. I gotta go through and see how many I have left to knock off the list. I was surprised how many I've already done.

Whassup with the "10 Hound Rocks" and "10 White Cliffs" notation? Right or Left Baskerville Cracks? Popular Mechanics? Ace of Spades?
Russ Walling

Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
Jan 30, 2008 - 03:42pm PT
hey there.............say..........

Must do's are:

Desert Song
Trespassers Will Be Violated
EBGB's
Comfortably Numb
Pat Adams Dihedral
Left Ski Track
More Monkey Than Funky
Rainy Day Dream Away
Imaginary Voyage
Living Conjunction


all in the fake 5.11/10d range
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Jan 30, 2008 - 03:59pm PT
Yah,
Do living conjunction first!
The rest will seem like another sport.
(heh, heh, heh)
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Jan 30, 2008 - 04:01pm PT
"10 Hound Rocks" and "10 White Cliffs" notation?

Steel:
I just got lazy.
Pretty much what you listed, plus more knockin' around there.
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Jan 30, 2008 - 04:06pm PT
These were day trips, more about quality than quantity.
Usually with a fair bit of driving & draggin' to & fro on the feet to link up the routes.
And don't look to them as the most efficient way between lines either, as this tom-foolery was not so well pre-meditated.




On the last topo, we were heading to Okelley's crack, but had a low speed head on collision, so that cut the topo short right there after pitch 6, Rubicon (there's that 5.11- rating, hmmmm)...
JuanDeFuca

Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
Jan 30, 2008 - 07:19pm PT
JuanDeFuca

Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
Jan 30, 2008 - 07:24pm PT
JuanDeFuca

Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
Jan 30, 2008 - 07:29pm PT
Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
Jan 30, 2008 - 07:31pm PT
Roy...It's as though you always knew that someday their'd be a Supertopo. ;-)

Neat old 'topos'.
JuanDeFuca

Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
Jan 30, 2008 - 07:32pm PT
JuanDeFuca

Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
Jan 30, 2008 - 07:37pm PT
JuanDeFuca

Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
Jan 30, 2008 - 07:44pm PT
JuanDeFuca

Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
Jan 30, 2008 - 07:49pm PT
Watusi

Social climber
Newport, OR
Jan 30, 2008 - 08:07pm PT
Yeah there are a couple good ones there...
WoodySt

Trad climber
Riverside
Jan 30, 2008 - 08:33pm PT
On the last list I saw "Taxman" at 5.9. I'm now going to my laughing room and will be there quite some time.
Stanley Hassinger

climber
Eastern US
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 31, 2008 - 02:43pm PT
I'm getting really excited about JTree.
scuffy b

climber
Stump with a backrest
Jan 31, 2008 - 02:50pm PT
5.8 plus?
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, Ca
Jan 31, 2008 - 03:26pm PT
Roy - I love those topo's. That stuff is great!

(I wasn't trying to call you out on that rating thing, just havin' silly fun..)

We always used to have a joke about Josh grades, and how they really work this way: .10a, .10b, .10c, .9+, .11a, .11b, .11c, 5.10d, .11d, and so on.
scuffy b

climber
Stump with a backrest
Jan 31, 2008 - 04:28pm PT
I always thought calling WaterChute 5.9 was...different

I guess it falls into the "rating starts 15 feet off the ground"
category.
Elcapinyoazz

Social climber
Joshua Tree
Jan 31, 2008 - 04:53pm PT
Kris, my experience of Josh ratings goes something like this:

5.8, 5.7, 5.7+, 5.9, 5.8+, 5.10b, 5.10a, 5.11a, 5.10d, 5.10c, 5.11c, 5.11b, 5.12a, 5.11d.


And to match up routes to that sequence:

Sail Away, Smooth as Silk, Double Cross, Working Overtime, Continuum, Effigy Too, I can't believe it's a Girdle, Swept Away, Imaginary Voyage, OKellys or Clean and Jerk, Wangerbanger, Digital Watch or Pat Adams, Beaver, Scary Monsters or 29 Palms.

Largo

Sport climber
Venice, Ca
Jan 31, 2008 - 07:14pm PT
29 Palms is not 11d if you have fat fingers, and More Monkey is not 11b if you have fat hands. Both routes are bleak for big folk, though something like Morongo Man is easier than if one had thin mitts.

So far as great routes at Josh, I think the Beaver is hard to top. Likewise, Imaginary Voyage and Bird of Fire and both O'Kelly cracks. And 10,000 more routes besides . . .

JL

Cassidy

Trad climber
Nova Scotia
Jan 31, 2008 - 07:48pm PT
Sail Away 5.8
Illusion Dweller ~5.10a/b
k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
Jan 31, 2008 - 07:53pm PT
Hobbit Hole OW in a stone-drunk frenzy, by moonlight.

BHMG, pure JTree.

Surface Tension -- yike!

Chongo's Traverse (one on the list...)

For new age, check out The Way of Life.

Also pure Josh, Freak Brothers domes, I Can't Believe It's A Girddle.


PS. I don't see folks doing Deliverance anymore...that used to be so popular.
Watusi

Social climber
Newport, OR
Jan 31, 2008 - 10:19pm PT
Largo has it pretty dialed there with his tick...I always loved The Baby Apes myself... It might have something to do with the drop knee move I used at the crux...Although BVB has got the patent on that one...
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Feb 1, 2008 - 12:11am PT
One ah mah fave 5.8's: Savwafare ist Everywhere.
Good rock, clean moves, all in all -splendid!
Far end of the Real Hidden Valley.
u4ick

Trad climber
temecula, ca
Feb 1, 2008 - 02:10am PT
White lighting is a super good warm up! not far from the road. its very popular get there early! 5.7 crack 100ft.?
Todd Gordon

Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
Feb 1, 2008 - 02:45am PT


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